Conservative Magazine Hits Petraeus As 'Sycophant'

Move over MoveOn. The latest issue of American Conservative magazine, which maintains a Ron Paul-esque opposition to the Iraq war, features a cover story by Andrew Bacevich blasting Gen. David Petraeus:

In common parlance, the phrase "political general" is an epithet, the inverse of the warrior or frontline soldier. In any serious war, with big issues at stake, to assign command to a political general is to court disaster--so at least most Americans believe. [...]

David Petraeus is a political general. Yet in presenting his recent assessment of the Iraq War and in describing the "way forward," Petraeus demonstrated that he is a political general of the worst kind -- one who indulges in the politics of accommodation that is Washington's bread and butter but has thereby deferred a far more urgent political imperative, namely, bringing our military policies into harmony with our political purposes.

Bacevich, a Boston University professor and retired Army colonel, is described by Steve Clemons as "one of the most articulate leading thinkers among military-policy dissident conservatives who have exposed the inanity of this war and the damage it has done." In May, his 27-year-old son Andrew J. Bacevich was killed on duty by an IED explosive in Iraq.

Comments

[QUESTION4HILLARY]

Saddam and Iraq were dead ducks after 9-11. Even if flailing Gore had been elected in 2000. The stunted, shell shocked Ostrichy 2008 contention that this war is then one of sheer opportunity or contrivance is patently phony.

[LeoMarvin]

Context is everything. Thanks to brooklyncitizen you are the Cicero of this thread. Congratulations.

[LeoMarvin]

Oops. Posted in the wrong place. Too much "multi" and not enough "tasking."

[realitytrumpsbull]

Wait, aren't the liberals and the conservatives
supposed to be different? I'm so confused...apparently, so are they, so I don't
feel alone anymore! ROTF

What a sad, sad sick joke this 'war' has been,
meanwhile the war profiteers go right on with
their business, which seems to be pretty
lucrative, while our military is made a farce
of, and the 'deciderer' tries to get out from
between Iraq and a hard place...when it's
all over with, will there be an external top-to-bottom audit of the Penta$cam, or will it
be permitted to continue being a runaway,
publicly unaccountable, self-perpetuating
franchise for whom no appropriations bill is
too large, no half-truth too small? 9 trillion,
and counting...

[ang4ever]

Love your comments, hates your computer skills.
.

[sqweels]

Looks like he forgot to unneccessarily hit return at one point. We hates it, childrens.

[wingnutslayer]

That sure does have a lot more impact than Petraeus/Betrayus. The Rush O'Hannity syndicate insisting that the Iraq debate is just about liberals vs. conservatives are so far behind the times they're in a different time zone.

[lookingAhead]

Is congress going to waste days debating this! Not because it is a conservative rag. This is soooo screwed up in soooo many ways. I did request that my Dem Senator that voted against MoveOn give back the $8000.00. Haven't had a reply, I wonder why. Hypocrite

[lefilmnoir]

I'm afraid you'd have to add at least one zero to that $8,000 to get even a thank you note from a U.S Senator.

[Dap]

Imagine that!

Who would have thunk it. :)

[nightslider]

correction. the rug BUSH wipes his boots on>

[nightslider]

that weren't no Gibbs type slap to the head, tha t puppy was a full Monty.

I wonder if the Boner and Lieberman crew will demand an Inquiry as to who would say such a dastardly thing about the rug wipes his boots on, and ya gotta wonder if the flaccid piece of shiet Reid will even mount a protest?? one can hope cant they??

[getoffmedz]

Sycophant = asskisser

[RogerHWerner]

Actually, Bacevich compliments Petraeus for being a serious student of counterinsurgencies. He legitimately complains that Petraeus failed to do what a good political general should do and instead chose to play the roll of a sycophant to further his career.

Bacevich makes a number of very points but the one that requires considerable publicity is his statement that if we are in a global war on terror, and, if it isn't just a shame, why on Earth wasn't this country placed on a war footing in September 2001, when the majority of the population would have supported it? Instead, Bush told the American people to cool their heels at the mall. Basevich's observations regards military tactics are important: Once an adversary is on the run, you do as Patton suggested...grab him by the nose and kick him in the ass and keep kicking until he gives up. You don't work to please politicians at the expense of sound tactics. Further Bacevich is correct in pointing out the the military and political aims in Iraq have never been in sync and until they are we can have no effective long-term strategy.

I found Bacevich's observation that Bush has essentially abdicated his commander in chief roll an given to the field commander important. I'm not sure that has ever occurred in US history.

[QUESTION4HILLARY]

"Once an adversary is on the run, you do as Patton suggested..."

You've just made the case for attacking Iran, thanks.

[themodernleader]

Ignominous, traditional CEO's allow only incompetents, cheer leaders, bootlickers, sycophants, automatonic tools, and opportunists of every description. These despicable staff turn an achieving and productive organization into a cesspool of rumor, backstabbing, mendacity and dishonor.
The leadership of all organizations of our American Republic must swim furiously to keep from being pulled into the same precipitiously declining administration of President George W. Bush. His government has stained our sacred Constitution and brought shame to our citizens and allies of self government through-out the World. His Administration has placed the black letter "I" (for Incompetent) over the heart of America.
May the Good and Merciful Overseer of all of us forgive the President for his trespasses. As respectful of the Golden Rule as I be, I can not forgive him for his sins against our Republic of citizens and unrequited harm to innocent people of the world in the name of the United States of America.

[GenericBlogger]

Three things for sure:

1) Petraeus is no George Patton
2) Petraeus is no Douglas MacArthur
3) Petraeus is no Stormin' Norman

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

4) Petraeus is no Colin Powell. Oh wait...

[ZingoBonMot]

Garrrrd, between this blog and the one by some "man of the cloth" boo-hooing and whining how he was completely taken in by Bush's phony baloney "Compassionate Conservative" schtick, I'm going to need a double Bromo tonight.
P.T. Barnum WAS RIGHT!

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

*
Sycophant Savior,
The Surgin' General's lost war:
Yesterday's flavor.
*

[GenericBlogger]

Nice Haiku

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

thx

GenericBlogger:
Anonymity belies
Personal response.

[crashingtiger]

It's interesting that there's not been one peep out of anyone in Congress over this magazine article.

[ColoradoDan]

Conservatives and Liberals are starting to hate the NeoCons ... those who are openly raping the Constitution.

The GOP opened the door to NeoCons and are just now realizing the enormous blunder. The Dems haven't been any brighter. Pelosi has been Bush's protector since Day One.

MoveOn will be proved to have been in the vanguard ... correct all along. The real war is the NeoCons vs American citizens. Both sides are waking up ... finally.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Well framed.

Huzzah!

[lefilmnoir]

Restarting the draft would be America's ultimate wake-up call. Until then, I don't expect much to change.